HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Heartbeat Protection Act (SB 300) is a
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
state law State law refers to the law of a federated state, as distinguished from the law of the federation of which it is a part. It is used when the constituent components of a federation are themselves called states. Federations made up of provinces, cant ...
passed in 2023 that criminalizes
abortion Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...
afte
6 weeks' gestation
The law went into effect May 1, 2024 after passing in 2023. Under Florida’s current abortion ban, it is nearly impossible for most women to access an abortion. Florida’s ban provides no exceptions for rape or incest after 15 weeks’ gestation, which is only eleven weeks after a missed period. Many experts concur that the vast majority of sexual assault victims do not report their assault, often out of fear of retaliation, feelings of shame and experiencing trauma, concern for having to relive their experiences before law enforcement or a court, and the need for time and space to heal and feel safe. Florida’s abortion ban has no real exception for a fatal fetal abnormality that is discovered later in pregnancy, after approximately twenty-weeks from the pregnant woman’s first missed period. Florida’s abortion ban contains a very narrow exception to “save the pregnant woman’s life or avert a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function - This determination must be made by two physicians, certified in writing. Florida’s ban also criminalizes the delivery of abortion pills through the mail and criminalizes telehealth appointments. Florida’s abortion ban imposes legal penalties for doctors who violate the ban by making it a third-degree felony with up to five years in prison, up to a $5000 fine, and potentially losing their medical license. The ban states that  “any person who willfully performs, or actively participates in, a termination of pregnancy in violation” of the law “commits a felony of the third-degree.” Unlike many other states, Florida’s ban does not clearly exempt pregnant people themselves from criminal prosecution. The bill passed the Florida Legislature on April 13, 2023.
Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
Ron DeSantis Ronald Dion DeSantis (; born September 14, 1978) is an American politician, attorney, and former United States Navy, naval officer serving as the 46th List of governors of Florida, governor of Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Pa ...
signed it into law on the same day in a meeting behind closed-doors with a few selected guests.


Legislative history


References

{{Reflist 2023 in American law 2023 in Florida Heartbeat bills United States state abortion legislation